The Last Heroine
by shanejayell
Summary: Set after The Last Hero, what REALLY happened to Vena.


Disclaimer: this is a sequel to the Last Hero novel by Terry Pratchett and contains SPOILERS. If you don't want hints to what happens in that novel, stop reading now! Also, I own none of these characters and profit in no way shape or form from this girl/girl fanfiction.

Discworld: The Last Heroine

Vena the Raven-Haired also known as Mrs. McGarry carefully descended from the mountain of Cori Celesti at the center of the disk, descending from the snow into more temperate climates. As she traveled she covertly kept an eye on the Bard that had accompanied her old friend Cohen, making sure he made it down okay.

'Not that I think Evil Harry would do anything to him,' the now while haired older woman thought wryly, 'but best to be sure.'

It had been, frankly, one hell of an adventure. She, along with Cohen's Silver Horde and Harry had each discovered maps to the God's city, and all three of them realized they were being played for suckers. Cohen and his friends hauled a barrel of explosive into the city with the intent to explode the Gods, and only the intervention of Captain Carrot had stopped them.

'I wish I could have told them everything,' Vena thought with a bit of regret as she reached the treeline. Yes, at one point she had married a McGarry and had a child, but it was years ago! After he passed away she used the tavern as a base of operations but continued adventuring, stopping only long enough to have her daughter Evelynn.

"Ho, Vena!" a familiar voice called and Vena felt herself smile.

Her hair had once been honey blond but was now white gray, her trim athletic body thin with age. Arielle rode with a metal shod battle staff at her side, her light leather armor designed more for speed than durability. Even with age slowing her down she was a deadly foe, as Vena was sure more than one bandit had discovered.

"It's about time," Arielle smiled warmly as she rode up, "how did the map play out? Anything new I can write a poem on?"

"You're going to have some competition on that, love," Vena smiled as she pulled Arielle into a gentle kiss.

"Hmm," Arielle leaned into the kiss until the horses started getting skittish being so close together. She pulled away reluctantly as they set off side by side, asking, "What do you mean, competition?"

"You remember Cohen?" Vena asked as they moved down the path.

Arielle looked thoughtful, "Old barbarian hero, no teeth?"

"That'd be him," Vena nodded, "though he got dentures. Anyway, he decided the trip up the mountain would be his final adventure, and kidnapped a bard to come along."

"That's one way to make sure your story gets told," Arielle admitted. "Do you think he has what it takes to tell a good heroic tale?" she wondered.

Vena thought of the young man, a boy who in a matter of days had seen things no man ever had, and experienced things far beyond his imagination. "I think if he survives," she mused thoughtfully, "he could do it."

Arielle nodded firmly, "Then I'd better get the story out of you and get started on my version. When did you first run into trouble?"

Seeing that her lover was serious Vena sighed, "Well, I made camp in the snow and...."

As Vena talked she thought of Arielle and how long she had known her. Vena had first met her back in her days as a recovering barbarian princess and the bard and poet had at first accompanied her for story materials. But over time a deep and a strong friendship had grown between them, one that made her deeply value the girl. Even with Vena's encounter with McGarry Arielle had stayed close, eventually becoming a second mother to her daughter.

"Those robbers were fools," Arielle sounded amused as Vena recounted her easy defeat of the men. She looked at Vena curiously, "Then what?"

"The Silver Horde and Evil Dread Harry had already met," Vena continued, "and I ran into them soon afterward when they stumbled into my camp...."

It wasn't too long after Evelyn was born that Vena had found herself looking at Arielle in a new light. Her close friend and companion became more and more dear to her, until finally Vena summoned the courage to tell her how she felt. Thankfully Arielle confessed she had been having similar feelings, and for the last few decades they had been living peacefully together.

"Incredible," Arielle laughed as they reached the spot she had been camped in waiting for Vena the past few days, "the Horde confronted the gods, Cohen outsmarted them then they decided not to blow up the mountain?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Vena agreed as she dismounted, wincing a bit at the soreness.

Arielle climbed down carefully, though thankfully she hadn't been in the saddle as long. "I don't know how I'll make this story into a ballad," she noted a bit ruefully. "I mean, gods don't usually make good stories."

"Especially not the way those foolish gods were acting," Vena agreed as they walked to the waiting tent, taking a wary look around.

Arielle gave her lover a fond look, "We won't be ambushed, you know."

Noting that no one waited to ambush them from within the tent Vena gave her a shy smile. "Old habits," she explained, "you know that."

"True enough," Arielle smiled fondly as she added, "and I'm glad those habits have helped you grow old beside me."

"Me too," Vena agreed as she kissed Arielle gently.

"Now," Arielle said briskly, "I've got a blanked laid out and some of that herbal rub you like, the stuff that makes you smell like a horse."

Vena laughed, "It's not that bad!"

"Well, whatever," Arielle waved that off, "I'll rub some of that into your back, it should help the soreness."

Vena looked at Arielle as she carefully laid down on her stomach as she purred, "Oh, how could I ever repay you?"

Arielle gave her a mock leer, "Trust me, I think we'll come up with something."

Vena kissed her again, lingeringly. "I'll look forward to it," she agreed as Arielle made her lay down and began to apply the herbal rub.

As Arielle firmly worked the rub in the woman mildly noted, "I don't think I ever expected us to end up like this."

"Me too," Vena admitted as she thought about it, "But I've never been happier."

"Me too," Arielle admitted, bending over to nibble her ear,

End

Notes: Vena in the novel is clearly a version of Xena, even wearing the same armor. Sadly, she has a rather un-Xena past, including settling down, marriage etc etc. It occurred to me it might be interesting to take some of what was mentioned in the book and bring it into line with the later seasons of Xena and her relationship with Gabrielle. Anyway, hope you liked it.


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